Meditation Parts 1 and 2
Meditation( part 1) Research and Improved Health I have many Austin patients that come in for Acupuncture treatment of stress related health issues. Even in Austin people have stress and they like their Acupuncture for relief. I often find myself giving advice on meditation to my highly stressed patients. I have practiced meditation for years and know firsthand the benefits of such a practice. I thought I would write this two part article on the important topic of how meditation can have a positive effect on the health and wellbeing of my Acupuncture patients here in Austin. I would like to begin with some current research that I found in 2006.This excerpt comes from Wired magazine feb 2006.
The Dalai Lama is here to give a speech titled “The Neuroscience of Meditation.” Over the past few years, he has supplied about a dozen Tibetan Buddhist monks to Richard Davidson, a prominent neuroscience professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Davidson’s research created a stir among brain scientists when his results suggested that, in the course of meditating for tens of thousands of hours, the monks had actually altered the structure and function of their brains. A decade later, he got a chance to examine Tibetan Buddhists in his own lab. In June 2002, Davidson’s associate Antoine Lutz positioned 128 electrodes on the head of Mattieu Ricard. A French-born monk from the Shechen Monastery in Katmandu, Ricard had racked up more than of 10,000 hours of meditation. Lutz asked Ricard to meditate on “unconditional loving-kindness and compassion.” He immediately noticed powerful gamma activity – brain waves oscillating at roughly 40 cycles per second -indicating intensely focused thought. Gamma waves are usually weak and difficult to see. Those emanating from Ricard were easily visible, even in the raw EEG output. Moreover, oscillations from various parts of the cortex were synchronized – a phenomenon that sometimes occurs in patients under anesthesia. The researchers had never seen anything like it. Worried that something might be wrong with their equipment or methods, they brought in more monks, as well as a control group of college students inexperienced in meditation. The monks produced gamma waves that were 30 times as strong as the students’. In addition, larger areas of the meditators’ brains were active, particularly in the left prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for positive emotions. Davidson realized that the results had important implications for ongoing research into the ability to change brain function through training. In the traditional view, the brain becomes frozen with the onset of adulthood, after which few new connections form. In the past 20 years, though, scientists have discovered that intensive training can make a difference. For instance, the portion of the brain that corresponds to a string musician’s fingering hand grows larger than the part that governs the bow hand – even in musicians who start playing as adults. Davidson’s work suggested this potential might extend to emotional centers. But Davidson saw something more. The monks had responded to the request to meditate on compassion by generating remarkable brain waves. Perhaps these signals indicated that the meditators had attained an intensely compassionate state of mind. If so, then maybe compassion could be exercised like a muscle; with the right training, people could bulk up their empathy. And if meditation could enhance the brain’s ability to produce “attention and affective processes” – emotions, in the technical language of Davidson’s study – it might also be used to modify maladaptive emotional responses like depression”.
This excerpt provides a great example, scientifically, of the possibilities of meditation. Changing brain patterns and overall activity is huge. When I try to convey the difference that daily meditation can make to my Acupuncture patients in Austin, I always emphasize the peace in mind that occurs. Situations that before would help intensify stress and complicate your joy, now have little to no effect. Before I read about this Davidson study in 2006, I would relate to the new found peace filled space in my mind between thought and reaction as a quiet garden I could retreat to at any given moment of the day. This included standing in line at the bank, driving in a traffic jam, perhaps even in the midst of a confrontation with a friend or loved one. This “place” in my mind took daily practice to make and daily practice to keep established. Meditation can reduce your stress by up to 80%. It is by far the most cost effective way to manage your own health and truly put the best you forward for your family, your work , and most importantly your self. In part 2 , I will give some instruction on how to meditate. If you have any questions , please click the “contact us” and call or email me.
Meditation (part 2) Practical Instructions
Here are some simple practical tips on how to meditate. If you want further instruction please contact a meditation center in Austin. I like the Shambala center on south 5th street. There are also plenty of good books on this topic. Do whatever makes you feel most comfortable.
Step 1- Make a space to practice:
In your home it is important to establish a good space to start your new meditation practice. A good space is one that is quiet and undisturbed. Ideally, this is a place without interruption(No phones, humming computers, pets, children, spouses etc.). I find it nice to have a small table to place a candle on. The general idea is to limit distractions. A candle is peaceful, even hypnotic, and you can even choose one with a relaxing scent like lavender. Next you want to have a large square cushion to be on. This can be a meditation mat(can be expensive), I use an old comforter folded up. Last is a pillow or meditation pillow. Place the pillow in the middle of the mat and sit.
Step 2- Sitting
Now that you have your space established it is time to sit. Posture is very important. If you can sit in half or full lotus, great, if not, no problem. I sit between my ankles on a pillow. Place the pillow in the middle of the mat, next straddle the pillow and sit down on it. I find this very comfortable. Next, be mindful of your posture. You should be sitting upright, not leaning forward or back. Your neck should be straight and your eyes gently gazing downward at a 45 degree angle. The picture below is sitting in lotus with ideal posture. Pay attention to the back, neck and eyes of the person in the drawing. They are ideal.
Your breath should be even; in and out through your nose. The breath is very important. We can use this as a guide back to center when we start thinking about groceries , chores, work, and other obstacles to a peaceful mind. 
Step 3: Meditation
As we sit in our new peaceful environment without distraction, begin by centering yourself with being mindful of your posture then your breath, then begin. I usually gaze softly at the candle and begin to let go of thoughts. The best picture I can think of is sitting in a cave behind a waterfall. You can see the water falling in front of you and not get wet. Thoughts are the water and we are the observer of thought. Getting wet is participating in the thought. For example, grocery shopping might come into your mind. If we engage in that thought and start thinking about what’s missing on our list, we are getting wet. The goal is to have a quiet mind, a pure moment of silent, still existence. You will experience a moment of quiet now and again until it becomes more common and lasts longer. This moment becomes seconds, then minutes then …well I haven’t gotten past minutes.
The best time to practice is in the morning. Allow this to be the first task of your day, everyday. In time you will begin to feel different, better , at peace deep in your self. Stress will no longer rule your mood or mind. You will be on your path to new freedom and better health.
I sincerely hope that this is helpful. Again please contact us with any questions.
Live Well
Douglas